No Fast
16A jedanaest uèenika otidoše u Galileju u goru kuda im je kazao Isus. 17I kad ga vidješe, pokloniše mu se; a jedni posumnjaše. 18I pristupivši Isus reèe im govoreæi: dade mi se svaka vlast na nebu i na zemlji. 19Idite dakle i nauèite sve narode krsteæi ih va ime oca i sina i svetoga Duha, 20Uèeæi ih da sve drže što sam vam zapovijedao; i evo ja sam s vama u sve dane do svršetka vijeka. Amin.
1Ali vam napominjem, braæo, jevanðelje, koje vam objavih, koje i primiste, u kome i stojite, 2Kojijem se i spasavate, ako držite kako vam objavih; veæ ako da uzalud vjerovaste. 3Jer vam najprije predadoh što i primih da Hristos umrije za grijehe naše, po pismu, 4I da bi ukopan, i da usta treæi dan, po pismu, 5I da se javi Kifi, potom jedanaestorici apostola; 6A potom ga vidješe jednom više od pet stotina braæe, od kojijeh mnogi žive i sad, a neki i pomriješe; 7A potom se javi Jakovu, pa onda svima apostolima; 8A poslije sviju javi se i meni, kao kakvom nedonošèetu. 9Jer sam ja najmlaði meðu apostolima, koji nijesam dostojan nazvati se apostol, jer gonih crkvu Božiju. 10Ali po blagodati Božijoj jesam što jesam, i blagodat njegova što je u meni ne osta prazna, nego se potrudih više od sviju njih, ali ne ja nego blagodat Božija koja je sa mnom. 11Bio dakle ja ili oni, tako propovijedamo, i tako vjerovaste.
16I gle, neko pristupivši reèe mu: uèitelju blagi! kakovo æu dobro da uèinim da imam život vjeèni? 17A on reèe mu: što me zoveš blagijem? niko nije blag osim jednoga Boga. A ako želiš uæi u život, drži zapovijesti. 18Reèe mu: koje? A Isus reèe: da ne ubiješ; ne èiniš preljube; ne ukradeš; ne svjedoèiš lažno; 19Poštuj oca i mater; i ljubi bližnjega svoga kao samog sebe. 20Reèe mu mladiæ: sve sam ovo saèuvao od mladosti svoje; šta mi još treba? 21Reèe mu Isus: ako hoæeš savršen da budeš, idi prodaj sve što imaš i podaj siromasima; i imaæeš blago na nebu; pa hajde za mnom. 22A kad èu mladiæ rijeè, otide žalostan; jer bijaše vrlo bogat. 23A Isus reèe uèenicima svojijem: zaista vam kažem da je teško bogatome uæi u carstvo nebesko. 24I još vam kažem: lakše je kamili proæi kroz iglene uši negoli bogatome uæi u carstvo Božije. 25A kad to èuše uèenici, divljahu se vrlo govoreæi: ko se dakle može spasti? 26A Isus pogledavši na njih reèe im: ljudima je ovo nemoguæe, a Bogu je sve moguæe.
“Brothers in both the flesh and the spirit, they were both zealous Christians, and stonemasons by craft. They lived in Illyria. Some pagan prince set them to build a pagan temple. It happened during the course of their work that a fragment of stone splintered off and flew into the eye of the pagan priest’s son, who was watching the building work with curiosity. Seeing his son blinded and bleeding, the priest shouted at Florus and Laurus and tried to thrash them. Then the holy brothers told him that, if he would believe in the God in whom they believed, his son would be restored to health. The priest promised. Florus and Laurus prayed to the one, living Lord with tears and made the sign of the Cross over the child’s stricken eye. The child was healed instantly and his eye became whole as it had been before. Then the priest, Merentius, and his son were baptised, and they both very soon suffered for Christ in the flames. But Florus and Laurus, when they had finished the temple, put a Cross on it, called together all the Christians, and consecrated it in the name of the Lord Jesus with an all-night vigil of hymns. Hearing of this, the governor of Illyria burned many of these Christians by fire and had Florus and Laurus thrown alive into a well, which was then filled with earth. Their relics were later discovered and taken to Constantinople. These two wonderful brothers suffered for Christ, and were glorified by Him, in the second century.” (Prologue)
He was born near Sophia in Bulgaria during the reign of the Emperor Boris. When his parents died he withdrew from the world to a cave high in the mountains, where he gave himself to the ascetical struggle. There the Prologue says that he ‘endured many assaults both by demons and men, from robbers and from his kinsmen.’ In time he moved to the mountain of Rila, where he lived in a hollow tree, eating only the wild herbs and fruits there. On Rila he saw no human being for many years, but was eventually discovered by a shepherd, after which his fame spread quickly: many came to him for counsel and for the healing of diseases, and Peter, King of Bulgaria, visited him for advice. Many people seeking their salvation settled near him, and soon a church and monastery developed around him. St John reposed in 946 and appeared to his disciples after his death. His relics are venerated at the monastery of Rila, which has for centuries been a lighthouse of Orthodox spirituality in Bulgaria.